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“He may be just a tramp, a guy that likes to roam about this great country without any special aim, just to thank the Lord for these beautiful mountains.”
-B. Traven, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

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“. . .here, where there are still the silences and the loneliness of the earth before man, . . .”

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Recently Read
- Dick Smith on Forest Access
- When Rains Fall, Will USFS Close Our Forest? The Coming El Niño
- Smith's Pool
- Hiking Is Not A Crime
- Dick Smith Calling a Condor, Piru 1970
- Mountain Lion Standoff, Santa Ynez Mountains
- Hiking Is Not A Crime; Hiker's PreCheck Forest Entry Pass
- The Pine Mountain Punisher: 22 Mile Day Hike
- Language of Forest Closure; Assault on an Ancient Right
- Hiking Is Not A Crime; Bull Moose and Titmouse
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Latest Dispatches
- Dick Smith on Forest Access
- Old Mission Sycamore Whacked Again
- Bald Eagle, Manzana Creek, San Rafael Wilderness
- When Rains Fall, Will USFS Close Our Forest? The Coming El Niño
- Language of Forest Closure; Assault on an Ancient Right
- March of the Mustard; The Spread of Noxious Weeds
- Mark of Conquest II: Benchmark and Mortar
- Save Old Mission Sycamore … __ __ __ …
- Raking the Forest: Anderson, Trump, Kuyper
- Initials of J.D. Reyes (1907)
- Last California Grizzlies Seen In Santa Barbara National Forest? (1926)
- Eccentric Artifact, San Marcos Foothills Preserve
- Fog Drip Morels
- Naming Santa Barbara’s Modoc Road
- Mark of Conquest: Benchmark and Mortar
Lunar Phase

Tag Archives: Santa Ynez Mountains
Hericium Hunt: Days Late and Feet Short
A hericium or “Lion’s Mane” mushroom growing on an oak tree, circled in red. With the first rain of the season some weeks ago the countdown had begun until the opening harvest of mushroom season. One week passed. It may … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara County
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Tagged Foraging, Fungus, Hericium, Hiking, Lion's Mane, Los Padres National Forest, Mushrooms, Santa Ynez Mountains, Wild Edibles, Wildcrafting
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2 Comments
Barger Canyon Arch
Looking through Barger Arch toward Santa Barbara. A coast live oak tree obscured for most of my life this frontside feature of the Santa Ynez Mountains. Arroyo Burro Trail, which cuts the mountainside nearby, was one of the first trails … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
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Tagged Arches, Barger Canyon, Hiking, Inspiration, Landscapes, Los Padres National Forest, Musings, Nature, Photos, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez Mountains
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4 Comments
Chumash Rock Art, a Pool of Water and a Chipmunk
A Chumash pictograph with inset showing a recreation of the design. A seasonal creek flows by this Indian rock art site in Santa Barbara County and there is a spring not far from the paintings. When flowing the creek cascades … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara County
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Tagged Archaeology, Chipmunks, Chumash, Hiking, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Pictographs, Rock Art, Santa Ynez Mountains, Wildlife, Writing
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5 Comments
Fish Falls, Santa Ynez Mountains
The large emerald pool below Fish Falls might be the best summertime swimming hole on the frontside of the Santa Ynez Mountains in Santa Barbara County. It’s deep enough to dive into from the top of the waterfall, if you’re … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara County
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Tagged Creeks, Hiking, Hiking (2), Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Santa Ynez Mountains, Steelhead, Swimming Holes, Trout, waterfalls, Wildlife
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13 Comments
Arrowhead Springs, Drought Resistant Summer Seep
The Chumash pictograph panel at Arrowhead Springs. The arrowhead-shaped mineral stain surrounding the rock art points down to a spring issuing from under the boulder. Santa Barbara county-wide precipitation for the 2013-14 water year stands at 41 percent of normal … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara County
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Tagged Archaeology, Bedrock Mortars, Chumash, Drought, Hiking, Indians, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Photos, Pictographs, Rock Art, Santa Ynez Mountains
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4 Comments













